Ramu River, PNG. 19th / early 20th Century.

This is an ancient mask, used over many generations, carved in a medium-hard wood, with layerings of paint. It is dominated on the forehead by a lizard, beautifully rendered. There is some deterioration on the upper left forehead area, but it is stable, and does not detract from the mask’s aesthetic power. The eyes originally would have had peralshell ovoids inlaid into the eye sockets.